Trigger motor



Jan. 7, 1936. y R, C,4 COUPLAND 2,026,518

TRIGGER MOTOR Filed 001'.. 2, 1954 Inventur' Richard. Enupland Att nvney Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES u T-RIGGER MOTOR Richard C. Goupland, United States Army, Norfolk, Va.

Application -October 2, 19.34, Serial No. 746,531 1comms. (c1. sii- 27) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a trigger motor such as is used in connection with a synchronized control system for guns which will permit the guns to be red between the blades of a rotating propeller of aircraft.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a compact trigger motor of light weight, which vmay be readily adjusted and which will be positive and reliable in operating.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement `and combination of elements described/hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specilcation.

A practical embodiment of the invention is .illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- 1n:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the trigger motor with the trigger in one inoperative position. Y

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views with the trigger in other positions.

Fig. 4 is a View in -side elevation of the trigger motor looking from the inside.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in rear elevation of the trigger.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of" Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown .a portion of a machine gun including a breech casing having side walls 5--5 between which a breech bolt 6 Vis reciprocally mounted. The breech bolt is provided with the usual scar I which' is adapted to be moved to releasing position by a sear slide 8.

The housing 9 of a trigger motor is attached to the side wall of the casing by means of screws I-I0. A guide member II, retained in the front end of the housing by a nut I2 threaded to the housing, is formed with a non-circular chamber I3. A plunger within the housing consists of a bolt I4 having a non-circular head I5 slidably disposed in the chamber I3 and a nut I6 threaded on the bolt and having an enlarged head I'l with a milled rim I8.

An impulse transmitting cable I9 of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,770,125 of July 8V, 1930, passes through the bolt I4 and is secured to the inner end thereof as by welding 20. The outer portion of the cable is sheathed in a tube 2| Vwhich is inserted in a socket 22 in the outer part of the guide II.

A spring 23 conned between the guide member I lI andthe head I'I of the nut normally urges the plunger towards the rear of the housing. An opening 24 is provided in the housing to give access to the nut and enable the nut to be turned to vary the length of the plunger and take up slack in the cable I9.

A bell-crank lever 25 disposed in a slot 26 10,..

the rear end of the housing is mountedonl'a pivot pin 21 passing throughts front outer corner and through" the housing. A trigger 28 mounted on the rear corner of the lever by means of a pivot pin 29 is also disposed in the slot 26 in the housing and extends into an aperture 30 in the side Wall 5 of the breech casing. Thetrigger is positioned so that itwill strike the sear slide 8 when the trigger is moved inwardly towards the...f breech casing vand when the breechgboltis ifi/battery. A spring anchored/inV the lever acts on the trigger to normally hold it against the rear face Q32 of Vthe aperture 30 Nand the rear Vface of the housing 9.

'Ihe lever 25 is connected to the'nut I6 of the plunger by means of a'lin'k 33. The rear end 3l of the link is preferably inserted in the bifurcated inner corner of the lever and a pin carried by the rear end of the link rides in aligned slots 36 in the bifurcated c orner of the lever. The shank of the link 33 extends through an aperture 31 in the head I'l of the nut and an enlarged head 38 on the front end of the link is disposed within the nut and bears against the inside face of the head I1 of the nut. The head 38 of the link and that portion extending through the aperture 3l are relatively rotatable with respectto the nut so that the nut may be turned on the bolt I4 to vary the length of the plunger and thereby take up slack in the cable I9.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, a pull on the cable I9 moves the plunger against the action of the spring 23. The plunger transmits this movement through the link 33 to the lever 25 which rotates about its pivot and moves the trigger 28 through the aperture 30 in the side wall 5 where it strikes the sear slide 8 and causes release of the sear and firing of the gun. The parts are now in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the cable is released the spring 23 movesthe'plunger rearwardly and restores the lever 25 to the position shown in Fig. 1l As shown in Fig. 3 the pivotal mounting of the trigger is necessary because the trigger is reciprocated at a different frequency than the soY normal rate of iiring of the gun, and if it is in the inward firing position when the bolt of the gun is arriving in battery, the forward face of the sear slide 8 will strike the side of the trigger and cause it to yield. Furthermore when firing is discontinued the impulse cableis held to maintain the plunger Vin the forward position thereby positioning the trigger in the path of the sear slide Where it will be rotated by the sear slide as the breech bolt arrives home after firing the last shot. The trigger will then be in safeV or inoperative position until the cable released to enable the lever 25 to assume the position as shown in Fig. 1.

I claim: Y

l. In a trigger motor, a housing, aguide in one end of the housing, a plunger in the housing comprising a bolt and anut threaded thereon, the bolt slidably and non-rotatably mounted in the guide, a spring normally urging the plunger in one direction, a cable connected to-Athe bolt and adapted to retract the plunger, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in the other end ofthe housing, a link having a relatively rotatable connection with the nut and a pivotal and sliding connection with the lever, a trigger pivotally carried by the 1ever,ja spring carried by the lever and normally moving the trigger away from the lever, and means for limiting movement of the triggerunder action of its spring.

2. In a trigger motor, .a housing, a guide in one end of the housing, a plunger in the housing comprising a bolt and a nut threaded thereon, the bolt slidably and non-rotatably mounted in the guide, a spring normally urging the plunger in one direction, a cable connected to the bolt and adapted to retract the plunger, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in the other end of the housing, a link having a relatively rotatable connection with the nut and a pivotal and sliding connectiorfwithgthelever, and a trigger pivotally carried by the lever.

3. In a trigger motor, a housing, a guide inone end of the housing, a plunger in the housing comprising a bolt and a nut threaded thereon, the bolt sldably and non-rotatably mounted in the guide, a spring normally urging the plunger in one direction, means connected to the bolt 5 and adapted to retract the plunger, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in the other end of the housing, a link connecting the nut and lever, and

. a trigger pivotally carried by the lever.

' 4.A In a trigger motor, a housing, a guide in one 10 Vend ofggthe housing, a plunger in the housing 4comprising a, bolt and a nut threaded thereon,

.the-bolt slidably and non-rotatably mounted in the guide, a spring normally urging the plunger in one direction, means for retracting the plung- 15 er against the action of the spring, and a trigger movable by the plunger. Y

5. Inra trigger motor, a housing, a plunger in the housing comprising a bolt and a nut threaded thereon, a spring normally urging the plunger 20 in one direction, means for retracting the plung- Vlever pivotally mounted in the housing, a triggerY pivotally carried by the lever, resilient means normally moving the trigger away from the lever,

Vand meansfor rocking the lever. 36

8. In a trigger motor, a housing, a bellcrank lever pivotally mounted in the housing, a trigger carried by the lever, a plunger in the housing,

Aand a link 'having a relatively rotatable connection with the plunger and a pivotal and sliding 40 connection with the lever.

RICHARD C. COUPLAND. 

